The Seven Sacraments

The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines depicts the sacraments as the center of Catholic life.
Just as without Christ, Christian faith is impossible, so without the sacraments, there could be no
Catholic Church. The sacraments are visible and sacred signs of God’s presence. They are the
visible means for bringing us to a unity with God and with one another.

(Read John 20:24-29)

As human persons, our nature requires that we first have to see a thing before an idea of
it is formulated in our minds. Thus, we can only form an image of an apple in our minds unless
we have seen an apple. This is because everything that comes to our mind passes through our
senses. God understands our nature very well, that is why in the Old Testament, Yahweh uses
visible signs to manifest His presence to the Israelites, especially in the captivity from the hands
of the cruel Egyptians. He uses a fiery column and a cloud as a signs that He is helping them be
free from the hands of their enemies.

The greatest visible sign that God used to show His love is none other than Jesus-the God-
man who came to save us.

In the Gospels, we learn that Jesus always uses visible signs to show and allow people to
recognize and feel His loving presence. For example, in healing people both from physical
infirmities and sin, he makes use of visible signs like water and gestures like touching.

To continue his ministry of saving, healing and forgiving, Jesus founded the Church who
today communicates salvation, healing and forgiveness to the faithful through the sacraments.

What are sacraments? Sacraments are visible signs that communicate grace. This simple
definition of sacrament will lead us to the conclusion that both Christ and the Church are
sacraments. First, Christ is called the Primordial or Original Sacrament. This is because Jesus
manifests in a visible way, the Father. Unlike the priest in the Old Testament, Jesus does not only
point to the Father, rather, He makes the Father present because He and the Father are one.
Also, Christ becoming man makes concrete in the most meaningful way, the love of the Father
for us. Jesus, therefore, is not simply the messenger of God’s love but He, actually, is the visible
sign of God’s love.

The Church is also a sacrament. In fact, it is considered the Foundational Sacrament. It is

a sacrament because she makes Christ present in our community today. Through her, we
continue to experience Christ’s saving, healing and forgiving work. Through her, we see and feel
that indeed Christ is alive and is among us.
 A sacrament is an outward-visible sign instituted by Christ to give grace. There are three
things absolutely necessary to constitute a sacrament: (1) institution by Christ; (2) a visible sign;
(3) power to give grace.

A sacrament is a visible sign of an invisible reality. For example: in Baptism, the visible sign
is the water; the invisible reality is the coming of the Holy Spirit.

The sacraments are always valid, even if the minister is in the state of mortal sin, because
it is Christ Himself who administers them.

The sacraments are efficient signs of grace, because they transmit the grace of God. The
grace is the friendship and communion with God.

The Church does not have the power to establish any sacrament, but only to celebrate
them in the name of Christ.

Each sacrament has three important elements: minister, matter, and form. The minister
is the one who administers the sacrament. The matter is the visible object which is used in the
sacrament. The form is the wording used by the minister to administer the sacrament.

There are seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Reconciliation,

Anointing of the Sick and the Dying, Matrimony, Holy Orders.

Baptism is the sacrament which frees us from original sin and reborn as children of God;
we become members of the Church and made shares in her mission. (CCC 1213)

Confirmation is the sacrament which makes the baptized more bound to the Church and
are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit; they become true witnesses of Christ to
spread and defend the faith word and deed. (CCC 1285)

Holy Eucharist is a sacrament and a sacrifice in which our Lord Jesus Christ, body and
blood, soul and divinity, is contained, offered, and received under the appearances of bread and
wine. (My Catholic Faith #132)

Penance is the sacrament by which sins committed after baptism are forgiven through
the absolution of the priest. Those who approach the sacrament of penance obtain pardon from
God’s mercy for the sin committed against Him. The penitents are reconciled with the Church
which they have wounded by their sins and by prayer for their conversion. Penance is also called
the sacrament of conversion, confession, and reconciliation.

Anointing of the Sick is the sacrament which, through the anointing with blessed oil by
the priest, and through his prayer, gives health and strength to the soul, and sometimes to the
body when we are danger of death from sickness, accident, or old age. (My Catholic Faith #160)
by the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends
those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that He may raise them up and save them.
(CCC 1499) (My Catholic Faith #160)

Matrimony is the sacrament by which a man and a woman establish betweeb themselves
a partnership of the whole of life, its nature is ordered toward the good of the husband and wife,
and the procreation and education of children. This covenant between baptized persons has been
raised by Christ to the dignity of sacrament. (CCC 1601)

Holy Orders is the sacrament through which men receive the power and grace to perform
the sacred duties of bishops, priests, and deacons. It is the sacrament through which the mission
entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time.
It is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. (CCC 1536)